Process for raising and curling the fluffs of fabrics



B. SONNINO 2,241,222

BRICS May 6, 1941.

PROCESS FOR RAISING AND cunpme ms FLUFFS 0F FA Filed Aug. 28, 1937 M242wring Patented May 6, 1941 PROCESS FOR narsmc AND OURLING 'rnE rnnrrs ornames Bruno Sonnino, Milan, Italy Application August as, 1937, SerialNo. 161,432 In Italy September 11, 1936 6 Claims.

It is known that raised or more or less fluii'y cloths, present on theirfinished surfaces a layer of fluff or a nap, which is meant torender'the cloth soft and to enhance its warming properties.

The object of the present invention is a process for the raising andcurling of the hair or fiuif of raised cloths, or of cloths that areanyhow flufiy, in order to attain a very high layer of 'flufi (abouttwice or three times what is normally produced) and accordingly an aircushion, while the cloth will present great softness, and, as aconsequence, greater insulating properties, which is apt to impart tothe cloth a greater smoothness, while the air cushion causes the warmingproperties to be increased.

The said process essentially consists in submitting the fiufl' of thecloth to be treated to the action of a strong jet of air, either mixedwith liquids or otherwise conditioned, or oven pure, such jet or pets ofair being directed upon the fluff either perpendicularly or obliquely.

The annexed drawing schematically shows by way of example one of themost elementary methods to actuate the process according to theinvention; in the said drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a piece of cloth undergoing the action of a fluid jet, seenfrom a side.

Fig. 2 shows the same seen from above.

Fig. 3 shows amulti-nozzled jet. i

Fig. 4 shows a system for the treatment the cloth onboth sides.

With reference to the anexed drawing: I shows a supporting surface forthe cloth, made ofa light close metallic net stretched on a fixed frame;

- 2 shows the cloth under treatment: 3 is the nozzle that communicateswith two flexible or stiff pipes or tubings, l and 5, the one for theliquid and the other for the compressedair supplied from acompressor.The said nozzle may be fitted upon a reciprocable carrier or othershifting device, if desired, although not shown in the drawing.

The same result will be attained .if in any' a series of jets 6, on abeam or transversal sup port fitted above the cloth, while the cloth is.

caused to run slowly under the said series of and the nozzle support'beshifted moving the mixed with other suitable fluids or not-may be jets.Otherwise, the cloth may not move at all,

nozzles in the direction of the flufi or vice-versa.

The said nozzle support may even be imparted a longitudinal vibratorymovement.

In all the above said instances, the jet or jets of air, whether this beconditioned or not, thrown upon the flufl' 2' of the cloth (which fiufl?will be lying flat in one direction) will cause the fluff to rise owingto the whirlwind effect of the air ruilling it and causing it to remainstanding or curled or so twisted together as to form a layer offering avery soft air cushion 2" (Figs. 1

and 2).

The operation, instead of its being carried out first on the-,one sideor face of the cloth, and then on the other, may be carried outsimultaneously on both sides, by treating the cloth on both sides at thesame time.

' Instead of air, steam--whether mixed with other suitable fluids or notor gases of any kind used. a

The metallic net may be substituted by any kind of fabric, whetherstretched or by smooth surfaces, of either wood," or iron or any othersuch likematerial.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

, l. A process for raising the nap 0r fiuil' of raised cloths or clothsotherwise fiuffy, in which the fiufi' is flat and lies in one direction,which consists in subjecting the surface of said cloth upon one side tothe action of at least one jet of fluid which is directed against saidside and at an angle with respect to the. plane of the cloth, causingthe jet of fluidto pass with an alternate movement over said surface ina direction transverse to the direction in which the fluff lies in orderto produce a-whirlwind effect among the flufi fibres which will thus beraised,"curled and interwoven, with a resulting increase of thethickness and softness of the layer of fluff treated, and combining saidalternate movement with a longitudinal intermittent movement at the end.of each stroke of said alternate movement,

in order to treat, step by step, the entire surface 3. A processaccording to claim 1,'wherein the fabric is moved longitudinallyintermittently of fluid are directed simultaneously against-both whilethe jet is moved transversely of said, longisides of ,the cloth.

tudinal movement. 6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the 4.Aprocess according to claim 1, wherein a length is varied o! thetransverse movement of plurality of stationary jets are arranged across5 the jet-with respect to the direction in which the the entire width ofthe cloth while the latter nap oi the cloth lies.

continues its longitudinal movement. BRUNO SONNINO.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein jets

